Feeding disks in slide fastener machines



y 3, 1956 D. WALDMAN-ET AL 2,753,182

FEEDING DISKS IN SLIDE FASTENER MACHINES 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 5, 1950 IN V EN TORJ July 3, 1956 D. WALDMAN ET AL 2,753,182

FEEDING DISKS IN SLIDE FASTENER MACHINES Filed May 3, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 JNVENTORS July 3, 1956 D WALDMAN ET AL 2,753,182

FEEDING DISKS IN SLIDE FASTENER MACHINES 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 3, 1950 IN V EN TORS mammwa Jufly 3, 1956 D. WALDMAN ET AL FEEDING DISKS IN SLIDE FASTENER MACHINES 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed May 3, 1950 &

INVENTORS /LLM United States Patent FEEDING DISKS IN SLIDE FASTENER MACHINES Daniel Waldman, Baldwin, and Theodore J. Silver, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignors to Anchor Slide Fastener Corp, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application May 3, 1950, Serial No. 159,754

2 Claims. (Cl. 271-23) This invention relates generally to the slide fastener art, and more particularly to a high-speed device for manufacturing the same.

it is among the principal objects of the present invention to provide a device into which it is only necessary to feed a continuous tape element, and a continuous wire element, the device serving to connect the slide fastener elements to the beaded portion of the tape element in an entirely automatic manner, so that the finished product is a completed tape upon which the fastener elements are properly positioned and spaced with respect to each other.

Another object lies in structure for advancing and applying slide fastener elements to the tape while the tape is positively fed with substantially no tension.

Another object of the invention herein lies in the provision of means for producing a gap on the tape in which there are no fastener elements mounted, at predetermined intervals, to facilitate the production of slide fasteners of different desired lengths.

Another object of the invention herein lies in the provision of means for regulating the length of the above mentioned gap, as well as the frequency of the same.

A feature of the invention lies in the fact that the machine may be readily dismantled for adjustment or replacement of parts, thus materially reducing the amount of time during which the machine must remain idle during repairs.

Another feature herein lies in the fact that principal operative parts are visible for easy maintenance, and check up on production.

A feature of this construction lies in the fact that the tape is positively engaged only at the point of slide fastener element clamping; so that waste at the beginning and end of a tape run is eliminated.

These objects and features, as well as other incidental ends and advantages, will become more clearly apparent during the course of the following disclosure, and be pointed out in the appended claims.

On the drawing, to which reference will be made during the course of the following disclosure, similar reference characters have been employed to designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

Figure l is a fragmentary plan view of an embodiment of the invention.

Figure 1a is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of a portion of the tapeadvancement means which comprises a part of the device.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of the embodiment.

Figure 2a is a fragmentary sectional view as seen from the plane 2a2a on Figure 2.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view as seen from the right of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal sectional view as seen from the plane 4-4 on Figure 1.

Figure 4a is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View showing the engagement of the wire advancement means which comprises a portion of the device.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view as seen from the plane 5-5 on Figure 1.

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view as seen from the plane 6-6 on Figure 4.

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary view in elevation showing the engagement of the continuous tape element with a portion of the means shown on Figure 1a.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary vertical transverse sectional view as seen from the plane 8-ll on Figure 4, partly broken away for purposes of clarity.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary sectional view as seen from the plane 9-9 on Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a sectional view as seen from the plane ill-10 on Figure 8.

Figure 11 is a fragmentary elevational view, partially broken away to. show detail of a portion of the tape element advancement means.

In accordance with the invention, the device generally indicated by reference character 2t] includes broadly: a base or frame element 21, wire advancement means 22, fastener element fabricating means 23, fastener element closing means 24, tape element advancement means 25, gay determining means 26, and actuation means 2'7.

The base or frame element 21 may be of any suitable structure, although it is preferably formed entirely from heavy metal stock, as for example steel or cast iron. It includes a horizontally disposed table portion 30, supported by any desired number of legs two of which are shown at 31.

The wire advancement means 22 serves to advance the milled w'ire stock 35 from a source of supply (not shown) whereby the wire may be formed into individual fastener elements 32 each having an upwardly extending projection 53 and a pair of tape engaging leg portions 33.

The means 22 includes a guide member 36 which positions the Wire. The member 36 has a bore 37. The actual advancement force is provided by .a toothed wheel 38 having a plurality of square teeth 3d disposed on the periphery thereof (see Figure 4a). The wheel 38 is mounted upon a shaft 40 journalled in pairs of bearings 41 and 42, the last mentioned shaft being intermittently driven by the actuation means 27 (see Figure 3'). Wheel 38 engages projection 53.

The fastener element fabricating means 23 includes a cut-off notching punch element 47 and a die element 48 (Figure 4).

The front or end cut-off punch element 47 is mounted in the front portion of the punch block 45' and rearwardly' thereof are mounted to reciprocate in unison a pair of oppositely disposed side notch punch and aligning members 56 and 57. The punch element 47 and the side punch members 56 and 57 cooperate to form the slide fastener elements in separate stages and to accurate 1y position the wire 35 as it advances through the machine. The cut-otf punch element 47 at the rear edge thereof has a configuration substantially identical with the indentation 62 (Figure 6) while the die 48 has a conesponding shape. This produces the legs in the position indicated by reference characters" 28 and 29 so that when they are advanced they take the position of the legs 33 on Figure 6. i

The punch element 4'7, the members so and 57, and the fastener element closing means 24 are incorporated with a reciprocating bridge structure 65. As best seen in Figures 8 and 9 the bridge structure 65 includes a pair of reciprocableshafts 66 and 67 which are actuated by the intermittent pressure of a roller 68 against a cross member 69. The roller 68 provides only a downward motion, the return motion being supplied by a pair of expansion springs 70' and 71, disposed between the cross members 69 and 72 which is mounted upon support rods 73 and 74 which depend from the table 30. The pressure exerted by the springs 7t) and 71 may be regulated by adjusting the nuts 75 and '76 threaded to the lowermost extremities of the shafts 73 and 7 4. The bridge structure 65 (see Figure 4) upon reciprocation brings the punch 47 into contact with the die 48 because of the upper cross member 80. On Figure 6 it will be noted that the end of the wire is already in the form of a slide fastener element, requiring only to be severed from the main body of wire. Simultaneously with the severing op eration it is necessary that the element be completely secured to the tape element 99 at the beaded edge 100 thereof. By doing this, all possibility of the elements becoming improperly arranged is eliminated, since while the element is a part of the wire 35 its position is fixed and determined.

The means 24 includes a pair of cam members 85 and 86 which serve to close the jaw portions 95 about an individual fastener element to position it upon the bead With reference to Figure 9 the cam members 85 and 86 are adjustably positioned upon the punch block 45 by means of screws 87, the shafts of which are disposed Within an elongated slot 88. Fine adjustment of the exact height of the members 85 and 86 with respect to the punch block 45 is regulated by means of adjusting screws 89 and lock nuts 90. The earns 85 and 86 coact with cam follower surfaces 91 on each of the closing units 92 and 93. The units 92 and 93 are slidably disposed with in the jaw guide member 96 mounted upon a supporting bed 97. The jaws are normally urged outwardly or apart from each other, each jaw being provided with a small compression spring 94. The actual closing of the leg portions 33, as has been mentioned, is through the jaw portions 95 (Figure 6).

The tape element advancement means 25 is intermittently driven by the actuation means 27 so as to position successive portions of the bead 100 in line with the fastener elements being positioned. It includes a feeding track member 101, through which the tape 99 travels to the fastener element closing means 24. Motive power is provided by a pair of tape feed wheels 102 and 103, and after the fastener element closing operation, the finished slide fastener is fed over a second track member 104 to be spooled or cut into proper lengths as desired.

The wheels 102 and 103 are substantially similar, and accordingly a description of the wheel 102 will suffice for the wheel 103, upon which corresponding parts are given the same reference character with the addition of a prime suffix. The wheel 102 includes a thin, flexible steel disk portion, the periphery of which includes engaging teeth 107. The disk portion 106 is dished or forced into a concave shape by the action of the screw 109 through a centrally disposed threaded orifice in a cup-like shaping member 108. The wheels are mounted upon a bracket 110 in such manner that the shafts 120 and 121 are disposed at a small angle with respect to each other. This angular mounting permits the disks 106 and 106' to resiliently contact each other at the rear portion of the peripheries thereof, the portion being that disposed immediately adjacent the bridge structure 65. This permits the tape 99 to be effectively supported during the closing of the leg portions 33, pushes the bead 100 between the legs of the slide element being closed thereon and accurately feeds the tape, without stretching, to its successive positions.

The bracket 110 is secured to the table portion 30 by means of a single bolt 111, to permit easy removal when necessary and reengagement with the actuation means 27.

Power is transmited to the toothed driving wheel 112 on the shaft 120 which is journalled within the bearing block 114. The wheel 102 engages a small spur gear 116 which in turn engages the teeth of the wheel 103, thereby assuring not only that the wheels 102 and 103 are positively driven, but that the teeth 107 thereof will be accurately aligned. As may be seen on Figure 7, the teeth 107 do not contact any portion of the fastener elements 32, each tooth extending to engage the tape 99 and the bead at the interstitial portions.

The gap determining means 26 serves to interrupt the positioning of fastener elements upon the bead 10%) for a given length of the head. The structure therefore determines not only the length of a given slide fastener stringer as formed upon the continuous tape 99, but also the length of the gap which spaces a given slide fastener stringer from an adjoining slide fastener stringer.

The gap determining means includes an extension frame member 125 secured to the base element 21, upon which are mounted a driven sprocket 126 and an idler sprocket 127 (Figure 3), the sprockets serving to support a sprocket chain 128 of a well known type formed from a plurality of links 129. Certain of the links are provided with small projections 130 which extend downwardly from the chain, the projections being engageable with a roller 131 on a slidably mounted lever 131 disposed within a guide 132. The lever 131 includes an angularly disposed portion 133 engageable with a stud 134 on the pawl 135. The lever 131 is pivotally mounted at 132 and is normall urged counterclockwise as seen on Figure 3 by the action of a spring 136, which engages the stud 134 on a bracket 137. This permits the pawl 135 to engage the toothed wheel 171. As the chain 128 continues throughout a course, the projections 130 strike the link 131, causing it to be moved clockwise as seen on Figure 3, thereby resulting in the disengagement of the pawl 135 with the ratchet wheel 171. This movement serves to disengage the wire advancement means 22 from the actuation means 27, whereby the device may continue to run without placing fastener elements upon the beaded portion 100 as it is advanced by the tape element advancement means 25.

The actuation means 27 provides for the driving of the above described means 22-26. The means 27 includes a prime mover (not shown) which drives a belt (Figure 1) which rotates a pulley 151 on shaft 152. This shaft is secured beneath the table portion 30 by means of bearings 153 and 154. An eccentric 156 (see Figures 2 and 5) is secured to the shaft 152 by means of a key 155, the eccentric serving to oscillate a reciprocating link 157. Pivotally secured to the link 157 is a pawl 158 which engages the teeth of a driven wheel 159. Bolted to the wheel 159 is a smaller toothed wheel 160, which meshes with the corresponding wheel 112 (see Figure 1). Power is thus supplied to the tape advancement means 25.

Referring back to Figure 2, disposed between the bearings 153 and 15 is an eccentric cam 162, fixed upon the shaft 152 by a screw 161. The operative surface of the cam 162 engages the small roller or follower 16 1, thereby providing reciprocal motion to the roller 164 on the bell crank 165 which is pivoted on shaft 166. The roller 63 is mounted upon the other arm of the bell crank, whereby the above described linkage operates the reciprocating bridge structure 65.

To the right of the bearing 154, as seen on Figure 2, there is mounted an eccentric 167, which oscillates the link 168, pivotally connected to the link 169 by the stud 170. This linkage rotates the shaft 40, and thus drives the wire advancement means 22.

At the rightward end of the shaft 15.2 is a worm gear 173 meshing with a helical gear 174 on shaft 175, this means serving to rotate the driven sprocket 126. It is to be noted that the means 26, unlike the other means, is not oscillated, but is driven at constant speed.

Operation It is believed that the function of the device will become most clearly apparent from a description of a single complete cycle of operation, i. e. the formation of a completed length of slide-fastener tape.

Accordingly, with reference to Figure 1 upon the starting of the prime mover (not shown) the shaft 152 is rotated, thereby activating the means 22-26. Assuming that the projections 130 have just cleared the link 131, a new segment of slide fastener tape is about to be formed. Propelled by the spring 136, the link 131 moves to its leftwardmost point of travel (see Figure 3) thereby activating the wire advancement means 22. The wire 35 then travels toward the bridge structure 65. Upon the lowering of the punch element 48, this severs one element 32 singly from the wire strip simultaneously with the closing action of the jaws 95 securing it to the bead 100. Upon the raising of the bridge structure 65, the tape element advancement means 26 advances the tape 99 a distance equal to that required for positioning of the next fastener element. This process continues until the projections 130 have travelled about the idler sprocket 127, and have returned to reengage the slidably mounted link 31. The wire strip advancement means is then rendered inoperative, while the tape 99 is advanced the required distance prior to the starting of the next slide fastener tape element. Where several lengths of tape elements are to be made on a single machine, the device may be provided for selective use with several sprocket chains 128, having more or less projections mounted thereupon. In the case where there are two groups of projections 130 spaced diametrically opposite, for example, the device will produce slide fastener tape elements having one half the length otherwise obtained.

Since the slide fastener tape elements are produced upon a single continuous tape 99, the machine may be left substantially unattended for relatively long periods of time, the number of tape elements formed being counted automatically by a small indicating means 138, the operation lever of which is attached to the link 131 in a suitable manner.

It may thus be seen that we have provided improvements in the slide fastener manufacturing art, which improvements as embodied in the instant device provide for the rapid automatic manufacture of slide fastener tape elements. Owing to the automatic nature of the device, labor costs are reduced as is servicing.

We wish it to be understood that we do not consider the invention limited to the exact details of structure shown and set forth in this specification, for obvious modifications will occur to those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains.

We claim:

1. In a slide fastener manufacturing machine in which slide fastener elements are successively applied to a flexible tape, said slide fastener elements being spaced along said tape, the improvement comprising: means for supporting and advancing said tape, including a pair of tooth edged tape feeding disks, said toothed edges having teeth arcuately spaced a distance from each other to be interposed between successive fastener elements; a pair of disk supporting shafts which are substantially axially aligned and slightly inclined toward each other, each shaft having an end upon which said disks are mounted; said disks having a degree of flexibility, and being in point contact with each other to grip the flexible tape therebetween.

2. In a slide fastener manufacturing machine in which slide fastener elements are successively applied to a flexible tape, said slide fastener elements being spaced along said tape, the improvement comprising: means for supporting and advancing said tape, including a pair of tooth edged tape feeding disks, said toothed edges having teeth arcuately spaced a distance from each other to be interposed between successive fastener elements; a pair of disk sup porting shafts which are substantially axially aligned and slightly inclined toward each other, each shaft having an end upon which said disks are mounted; said disks having a degree of flexibility, and being in point contact with each other to grip the flexible tape therebetween; and means to rotate said wheels in synchronism, said means including a gear engageable with the teeth on both of said disks. .t-lfini References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,832,007 Eckland Nov. 17, 1931 2,070,902 Hinman Feb. 16, 1937 2,141,200 Sunback Dec. 27, 1938 2,146,170 Brenbarger et al Feb. 7, 1939 2,217,121 Lindner Oct. 8, 1940 2,261,552 Koppel Nov. 4, 1941 2,265,332 Woodington Dec. 9, 1941 2,267,783 Behrens Dec. 30, 1941 2,275,769 Kiessling Mar. 10, 1942 2,287,507 Antonietta June 23, 1942 2,297,426 Nagele Sept. 29, 1942 2,321,951 Susskind June 15, 1943 2,418,761 Dasher Apr. 8, 1947 2,435,795 Quinlan Feb. 10, 1948 2,473,623 Voity June 21, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS 442,358 Great Britain Feb. 6, 1936 517,534 Great Britain Feb. 1, 1940 621,270 Great Britain Apr. 6, 1949 

